Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask His Majesty's Government what are the current annual savings to the Exchequer provided by (1) the benefit cap, and (2) the two-child limit on social security payments.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The saving to the Exchequer provided by the benefit cap in 2021/22 – the latest year for which data are available - was £400m. For the policy that provides support for a maximum of 2 children in Universal Credit (UC) and Child Tax Credits, it is not possible to provide a current annual savings measure and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. In our previously published analysis on the cost of ending the policy that provides support for a maximum of 2 children in Universal Credit (UC) and Child Tax Credits over the period 19/20-23/24 we estimated that the cost of ending this policy to be around £5bn up to 23/24. The Government’s view is that providing support for a maximum of two children or qualifying young persons in Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit ensures fairness between claimants on the one hand and, on the other, those taxpayers who support themselves solely through work. Where they are able to, Individuals should consider whether they are financially prepared to support a new child without relying on benefits. We recognise that some claimants are not able to make the same choices about the number of children in their family, which is why exceptions have been put in place to protect certain groups. On migration to Universal Credit families’ existing entitlement will be protected, so long as they remain responsible for the same children and entitled to benefit.

Department of Health and Social Care

Abortion: Medical Records

Baroness Eaton: To ask His Majesty's Government, per their guidance note for completing HSA4 paper forms, which states, "You must use this section to record any complications that occurred up until the time of discharge from the place of termination", and their guidance note for completing HSA4 electronic forms, which states, “You must select any complications that occurred up until the time of discharge from the place of termination”, whether or how complications are tracked in cases where one or both medicines were administered at the patient’s usual place of residence or home, so as to ensure that proper care is provided should any complications arise and the appropriate reporting is undertaken.

Lord Markham: Complications resulting from legal abortions in England and Wales are recorded on the HSA4 form until the patient has been discharged. For medical terminations where either both or the second stage was administered at the patient’s usual place of residence, complications are unlikely to be recorded on the HSA4 form after discharge. Complications are also recorded in other patient record systems such as Hospital Episodes Statistics, where the woman has attended a health service after being discharged.

Lyme Disease

Lord Leong: To ask His Majesty's Government whether there is any public awareness campaign about Lyme disease.

Lord Markham: UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) share Lyme disease messaging through theirour social, media and stakeholder channels at a national and regional level, most recently publishing the Tick awareness leaflet in March 2023.The ‘Tick awareness’ leaflet informs the public about the risks associated with ticks including Lyme Disease and tick-bite prevention behaviours. A copy is attached.UKHSA, along with local authority partners, have also developed a Tick awareness toolkit which includes resources and materials that can be used by local authorities and other organisations to deliver tick awareness campaigns. A copy is attached. Be tick aware toolkit  (pdf, 1180.9KB)Tick awareness  (pdf, 947.5KB)

Care Homes

Lord Jones: To ask His Majesty's Government how many registered care homes there are in England.

Lord Markham: There are 14,858 registered care homes in England.

Care Homes

Lord Jones: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of people residing in care homes.

Lord Markham: The Department collects data on the number of people residing in care homes on a monthly basis.The Data reported in Capacity Tracker (CT) shows that in the week ending 14/05/2023 the number of people in younger and older adult care homes was 363,972. This figure is made up of both private and local authority funded clients. Data is from adult social care in England, monthly statistics, COVID-19 Vaccination statistics June 2023, Table 10.The Short- and Long-Term collection (SALT) shows that at year end 2021/22 the number of people in care homes (residential and nursing) accessing long term support was 175,680. This figure only includes clients whose care is commissioned or funded by local authorities. Those who privately finance and organise their care are not included. Data is found in SALT Table 38.

Integrated Care Boards: Finance

Lord Bradley: To ask His Majesty's Government what was the aggregate financial deficit for each integrated care board in England for the financial year 2022–23.

Lord Markham: The final financial position for individual integrated care boards (ICBs) for the financial year 2022/23 will be confirmed in their year-end accounts which will be published in due course. The following table shows the latest projected year-end surplus/deficit position reported to the Department by NHS England and shows that 34 out of 42 ICBs are projected to end the financial year in a deficit position.Integrated Care Board2022/23 Year End Surplus / (Deficit) (£m)South East London ICB(1.0)North East London ICB(9.2)North Central London ICB(9.2)North West London ICB(10.8)South West London ICB7.3Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB0.4Birmingham and Solihull ICB(100.5)Derby and Derbyshire ICB1.2Lincolnshire ICB(15.3)Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland ICB(3.0)Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent ICB(0.9)Shropshire, Telford, and Wrekin ICB(25.3)Northamptonshire ICB5.8Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB(1.6)Black Country ICB(1.3)Coventry and Warwickshire ICB0.1Mid and South Essex ICB(27.8)Bedfordshire, Luton, and Milton Keynes ICB(9.0)Suffolk and North East Essex ICB(11.6)Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB(7.4)Norfolk and Waveney ICB1.7Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICB1.9Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB20.6Greater Manchester ICB(69.8)Cheshire and Merseyside ICB(13.6)South Yorkshire ICB(5.8)North East and North Cumbria ICB(22.8)Humber and North Yorkshire ICB(16.9)West Yorkshire ICB(19.2)Kent and Medway ICB(1.4)Frimley ICB(2.5)Sussex ICB(16.2)Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB(16.3)Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICB(15.5)Surrey Heartlands ICB(43.2)Devon ICB(12.1)Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB(62.0)Gloucestershire ICB(10.0)Somerset ICB(7.2)Cornwall and The Isles of Scilly ICB(7.5)Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire ICB(7.1)Dorset ICB2.5Source: NHS England

Down Syndrome Act 2022

Lord Farmer: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how the implementation of the Down Syndrome Act 2022 fits with their wider strategy for supporting people affected by disabilities.

Lord Markham: No specific assessment has been made. Under the Down Syndrome Act 2022 we will be developing guidance for relevant authorities focused on how to meet the unique support needs of people with Down syndrome but which highlights where best practice in service delivery would also be applicable to those with another genetic condition and/or a learning disability. There will be a full public consultation once a draft of the guidance has been produced. The Act will help achieve the Government’s wider commitment to improving outcomes for disabled people. In December 2022, Minister Pursglove, Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work, announced a new Disability Action Plan (DAP) which will be consulted on and published this year. The Government will consider all responses to the consultation carefully before publishing the final DAP.This Plan will set out the practical action planned across government over the next two years to improve disabled people’s lives. The Plan will lay out joint action government departments can take to make a tangible difference to disabled people’s lives in the immediate term, as well as where we can make meaningful progress towards a longer-term goal, for example improved disability data and evidence.

General Practitioners: Asylum

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to require GPs to provide, without charge, letters confirming the residential addresses of asylum-seekers and refugees seeking to open a bank account.

Lord Markham: There is currently no plan to require general practitioners to provide letters confirming the residential addresses of asylum-seekers and refugees seeking to open a bank account. Asylum seekers and refugees are entitled to register for and receive general practice services in the same way as any other member of the general population. This is confirmed in a range of advice and guidance published by NHS England and the NHS more widely.

HIV Infection

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask His Majesty's Government furtherto the Written Statement by Lord Markham on 8 June (HLWS826), what assessment they have made of the incidence of HIV in (1) women, and (2) heterosexual men, between 2019 and 2021; and what steps they are taking to improve this.

Lord Markham: The UK Health Security Agency is currently developing a methodology to estimate incidence among heterosexual men and women based on the methodology currently used to produce estimates of incidence for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. As estimates of incidence are not available for heterosexual men and women, new diagnoses first made in the United Kingdom are used as a proxy and interpreted in context of levels of HIV testing amongst those populations.Between 2019 and 2021, there was a slight increase in HIV diagnoses and late HIV diagnoses among heterosexuals, whilst HIV testing coverage remained substantially lower in 2021 than in 2019. In addition, the estimated number of undiagnosed people among heterosexual men and women did not decline over the same period. These figures suggest that there was no fall in incidence in this population.The HIV Action Plan published in 2020 aims to reduce new HIV infections by 80% between 2019 and 2025 and details a range of actions committed to in order to help achieve this ambition.

HIV Infection: Screening

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of opt-out HIV testing in emergency departments in areas of Londonwith high HIV prevalence.

Lord Markham: NHS England has committed £20 million in 2022 to 2025 to fund the expansion of HIV opt-out testing in emergency departments (EDs) in areas with extremely high HIV prevalence. The NHS England London region took a decision to include all EDs in the project, which included some of which were in high HIV prevalence areas.Provisional data from NHS England indicates that this HIV opt-out testing initiative has helped find more than 550 cases of undiagnosed or untreated HIV in the first year of the programme. We are currently considering the results of the first year of HIV opt-out testing and the programme’s contribution to finding cases of undiagnosed or untreated HIV and preventing further HIV transmissions, alongside data on progress towards our ambitions to end new HIV transmissions, AIDS and HIV-related deaths within England by 2030.

Radiotherapy: Artificial Intelligence

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to exploit artificial intelligence in radiotherapy treatment services.

Lord Markham: The Department has provided £123 million to 86 artificial intelligence (AI) technologies through the Health and Care Award. The Award is accelerating the testing and evaluation of the most promising AI technologies likely to meet the aims set out in the NHS Long Term Plan.Two of these AI technologies, Mirada Medical and project OSAIRIS, specialise in assisting clinicians with segmenting radiotherapy scans. This process, which is currently done by hand by clinicians, outlines healthy organs so they can be avoided during radiotherapy treatment. These technologies have been testing the feasibility of AI tools that could automatically identify healthy organs and segment scans. This could speed up the segmentation process and help patients start radiotherapy treatment sooner and reduce workloads for clinicians.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Srebrenica: Genocide

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are takingto promote the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the genocide at Srebrenica in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Srebrenica was a genocide, as confirmed by the international courts, and we must never forget the victims. It is important that such a significant anniversary is appropriately commemorated, and we will work with the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) to support their plans. The British Embassy Sarajevo has previously participated in commemoration events in BiH, and will continue to do so. Furthermore, the UK Government continues to support the Srebrenica Memorial Centre in its work to become a world-leading centre for the study and prevention of genocide.

UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of goods bought by Northern Ireland manufacturers from Great Britain will have to pass through the Red Lane and require full customs paperwork.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Windsor Framework significantly expands the range of businesses, including manufacturers, who can benefit from the Green Lane.We are increasing the threshold for processing companies - quadrupling the current £500,000 limit up to £2 million, meaning four-fifths of manufacturing and processing companies in Northern Ireland who trade with Great Britain will automatically be in scope.For traders unable to use the Green Lane, we will establish a new, comprehensive tariff reimbursement scheme for those who can show the goods were ultimately not destined for the EU, which will be available from 30 June.

Hungary: Emergency Powers

Lord Hylton: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made any representations to the government of Hungary about (1) the state of emergency imposed since March 2020, (2) the endowment of $1.7 million given by the Hungarian state to theMathias Corvinus Collegium, and (3) the closure of Hungary's principal universities duringthe 2022–23 winter; and whether they will place copies of any responses in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government has made no representations to the Hungarian Government about the two states of emergency imposed since 2020. The UK respects Hungary's right to determine its own constitutional arrangements, but expects alignment with international norms. UK officials from British Embassy Budapest regularly raise a variety of topics with the Hungarian Government, including education.

UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government what support they will give to NorthernIreland manufacturers who will have extra costs and extra paperworkunder the Windsor Framework in order to trade with the rest of the UK.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We will continue to provide a free-to-use support service for movements in the Green Lane.We will set out the details of new arrangements in the usual way, including to Parliament and further guidance on the green lane will be provided in due course.Under the Windsor Framework, many manufacturers will be able to benefit from the new Green Lane, meaning that goods sold in Northern Ireland will be freed of unnecessary paperwork, using only ordinary commercial information rather than customs processes or complex certification requirements for agrifood.For traders unable to use the Green Lane, we will establish a new, comprehensive tariff reimbursement scheme for those who can show the goods were ultimately not destined for the EU which will be available from 30 June.

Benjamin Netanyahu

Lord Rogan: To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions the Prime Minister has had with the Prime Minister of Israel.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Prime Minister met Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on 24 March. The leaders discussed shared security and defence challenges, and Prime Minister Sunak outlined international apprehension at growing tensions in the West Bank and the risk of undermining efforts towards the two state solution. He encouraged all efforts to de-escalate and also stressed the importance of upholding the democratic values that underpin our relationship, including in the proposed judicial reforms in Israel. The UK remains committed to making progress towards a two-state solution, resulting in a safe and secure Israel living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian State; based on 1967 borders with agreed land swaps, with Jerusalem as the shared capital of both states.

China: Journalism

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support journalists and the free press in China, particularly Xinjiang province.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government supports media freedom and the right of journalists to do their jobs without harassment. We are disturbed by the increasing restrictions on media freedom in China. We regularly raise the deteriorating situation for journalists in China directly with the Chinese authorities.We also continue to challenge China in international fora where appropriate. On 21 March 2022, we highlighted the lack of media freedom in China in our 'Item 4' statement at the 49th session of the Human Rights Council, and called on China to allow journalists to report without fear of arrest, harassment or reprisal.

Horn of Africa: Journalism

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support journalists, particularly women journalists, in the Horn of Africa.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK is committed to media freedom, which we believe is essential to a functioning society. We oppose all attempts by any state to restrict press freedom, silence debate, abuse journalists, or spread misinformation whether online or offline.UK support for journalists takes different forms in different countries. In Ethiopia, we support independent media to become more resilient. In Somalia, we are defending media freedom by supporting protection for Somali journalists and free media. In Sudan, before the current crisis, the UK focused on demonstrating public support for freedom of expression and building resilience in the Sudanese media.

Trade Agreements: Mexico

Baroness Coussins: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have set a date for beginning the dialogue on human rights between the UK and Mexico which both Governments agreed should be conducted in parallel with negotiations towards a Free Trade Agreement.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We have not yet set a date for a formal bilateral human rights dialogue with Mexico, however we continue to engage regularly on human rights and related issues with Mexican authorities at ministerial and official level. Most recently, on 19 June, the Minister for the Americas, David Rutley MP, spoke with the Mexican Undersecretary for Human Rights and Multilateral Affairs, Eduardo Jaramillo, and reiterated the UK's desire to formalise these conversations through the inaugural human rights dialogue.

Department for Business and Trade

Employment: Bullying

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support those affected by workplace bullying.

The Earl of Minto: The Government is clear that any form of bullying and harassment is unacceptable and has no place in today’s workplace.The Government has published guidance that sets out the steps that employees can take if they are experiencing bullying or harassment at work, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/workplace-bullying-and-harassment.Acas provides free and impartial advice for employers and employees and has published guidance on how to deal with bullying in the workplace. This is available at: https://www.acas.org.uk/if-youre-treated-unfairly-at-work/being-bullied.

Equal Pay

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to make reporting on ethnicity pay gaps mandatory for the purposes of tackling racism.

The Earl of Minto: This government remains committed to tackling all areas of disparities in this country, including in employment. It is crucial that everyone is treated fairly in the workplace, so that they can thrive and reach their full potential and we want to ensure that everyone has access to the same employment opportunities. Ethnicity pay gap reporting is just one type of tool to assist employers in doing this and it may not always be the most appropriate mechanism for some types of organisations. Therefore, as set out in the “Inclusive Britain” report, which was published in March 2022, the Government will not be legislating to make ethnicity pay reporting mandatory at this stage. Instead, we committed to producing guidance to support those who wish to report voluntarily. This was published in April 2023.

Accounting: Standards

Baroness Bowles of Berkhamsted: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have assessed, or will assess, the risk to UK public interest of the setting of international accounting standards being influenced by (1) rogue states, in particular where financial crime and human rights abuses occur, (2) accounting firms with global networks which co-operate with rogue states, (3) accounting firms with global networks which engage in corrupt practices overseas, (4) accounting firms which engage in corrupt practices in the UK, and (5) accounting firms' former employees who have been prosecuted for tax evasion.

The Earl of Minto: The UK Government is confident that appropriate safeguards are in place to prevent undue influence on international accounting standards development from rogue states or actors engaging in corrupt practices. The International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation maintains rigorous due process in standard-setting, including public consultation on standards, public non-technical Board meetings, and a due diligence oversight committee to monitor adherence to its Due Process Handbook. UK endorsement of international standards through the UK Endorsement Board is also subject to rigorous safeguards, including in-depth background checks before Board members are appointed and an annual report on its technical work for the Secretary of State.

UK Endorsement Board

Baroness Bowles of Berkhamsted: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Earl of Minto on 25 May (HL7684), what work the UK Endorsement Board has undertaken to consider the effect of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill on its work to assess international accounting standards; and what steps they have taken to ensure compliance with the public interest test provided under regulation 7(1) of the International Accounting Standards and European Public Limited-Liability Company (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.

The Earl of Minto: The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill has no effect on the content of companies’ accounts or the accounting standards they use for that purpose. The UK Endorsement Board endorses and adopts individual international accounting standards for use in the UK. It carries out that work in accordance with criteria set out in the International Accounting Standards and European Public Limited-Liability Company (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. Whether a standard is likely to be conducive to the long-term public good is assessed at individual standard level with reference to the matters set out in regulation 7(2) of that Statutory Instrument.

Small Businesses: Government Assistance

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support small companies with (1) skills, (2) funding, and (3) policy, so they can reach their strategic development.

The Earl of Minto: The Help to Grow: Management scheme is helping small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) across the UK learn new skills, reach more customers and boost profits. Additionally, SMEs can access expert advice and guidance via the Business Support Helpline and network of Growth Hubs across England. Eligible SMEs can access funding via the Recovery Loan Scheme to help them grow and invest. For new and early-stage UK businesses, the Start Up Loan scheme provides access to affordable finance and mentoring support. Businesses can find government support and advice for growing, starting and exporting through the Help to Grow website: https://helptogrow.campaign.gov.uk/ Businesses wanting to export can find support via the General Export Facility (GEF) and the Export Development Guarantee (EDG).

UK Endorsement Board: KPMG

Baroness Bowles of Berkhamsted: To ask His Majesty's Government how many former employees of KPMG sit on the UK Endorsement Board.

The Earl of Minto: Three Members of the UK Endorsement Board are former employees of KPMG.

Cabinet Office

British Constitution

Lord Norton of Louth: To ask His Majesty's Government which member of the Cabinet has overall responsibility for constitutional affairs and for upholding the constitution.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Deputy Prime Minister holds ministerial responsibility for constitutional policy, with support on matters relating to the constitution from a wider ministerial team within the Cabinet Office and across Government.

Covid-19 Inquiry

Lord Rogan: To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are providing to the government departments in Northern Ireland toensure that all required information is provided to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry in the absence of a functioning Northern Ireland Executive.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Government departments and the devolved administrations, including Northern Ireland, are individual core participants to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry, so departments are not able to provide support to them in responding to the Inquiry. Government departments and devolved administrations make their own decision on whether to apply for core participant status. A core participant is an individual or organisation that has a specific interest in the work of the Inquiry with a formal role as defined by the Inquiry Rules 2006. Core participants have special benefits in the Inquiry process, including early sight of evidence and the ability to make opening and closing statements and present their position to the Inquiry.

Artificial Intelligence: Public Sector

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to their White Paper A pro-innovation approach to AI regulation, published on 29 March, and following the introduction of the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard, what assessment they have made of the case for statutory transparency obligations for public sector use of automated decision-making.

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask His Majesty's Government further to the six algorithmic transparency reports published under the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard,how many automated decision-making tools are currently used by public authorities that have not submitted reports under the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard; andwhat steps they are taking, or intend to take,to increase compliance with that Standard.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The government has made transparency around automated decision-making a priority through the publication of the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS). The ATRS is a maturing standard which is being progressively promoted and adopted across the public sector. It is still evolving alongside policy thinking and government understanding of the complexities, scope, and risks around its use. Enshrining the Standard into law at this point of maturity might hinder the ability to ensure it remains relevant in a rapidly developing technology field. We remain committed to reevaluating our position on legislative change in the future, once the policy and the Standard have matured further. While the government currently has no comprehensive view of the full range of automated decision-making tools currently used by public authorities, several steps have been taken to increase compliance with the Standard in the absence of legislation. The ATRS has been endorsed by the government’s Data Standards Authority. Since its publication, it has been piloted with a variety of public sector organisations across the UK and the published records can be openly accessed via GOV.UK. It is currently being rolled out more widely across the public sector with a view to embedding it into internal governance processes and increasing compliance.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Housing: Disability

Baroness Thomas of Winchester: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to implement their plan to make the accessible and adaptable housing design standard the default standard for new homes.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The Government has set out its intention to mandate higher accessibility standards for all new homes by raising the minimum standard in Building Regulations in England in due course. Raising the minimum standard for accessible homes (pdf, 282.7KB)

Parish and Town Councils: Ballots

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce the reforms to parish polls, as proposed in 2017 following public consultation, (1) to extend the hours during which the poll takes place, and (2)to ensure that (a)the request was supported by the majority of electors present at the relevant meeting, (b) that the subject matter of the poll was discussed at the relevant meeting and directly affects those who live and/or work in the community served by the parish, (c) that the parish council is capable of making a decision on the subject matter of the poll, and (d) that no further poll on the subject matter be held within 12 months.

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: To ask His Majesty's Government what was the overall costs of parish polls which were held in (1) 2018–19, (2) 2019–20, (3) 2020–21, (4) 2021–22, and (5) 2022–23.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The Government acknowledge that town and parish councils have a significant role in improving the quality of life and wellbeing of their communities and creating places where people are proud to live.The Government will provide an update on its plans to modernise parish polls in due course. The Department does not hold information about the overall cost of parish polls as these are local matters.

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention

Lord Rooker: To ask His Majesty's Government whether extra electrical safety checks have been carried out in residential tower blocks where claddingneeds to be replaced.

Lord Rooker: To ask His Majesty's Government whether there is any record of voltage surges in residential tower blocks where cladding needs to be replaced.

Lord Rooker: To ask His Majesty's Government whether, for electrical testing in tower blocks where cladding needs to be replaced, they plan to institute a testing regime whereby an electrical engineer, rather than a competency body, is named and assessed as competent to supervise such work.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: All buildings should meet existing safety standards.We do not hold records of voltage surges or numbers of extra electrical safety checks for these buildings. The Building Safety Regulator will be undertaking a cost benefit analysis of making regular inspections and testing of electrical installations in relevant buildings.

By-elections: Proof of Identity

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask His Majesty's Government whether photo ID will be required for any recall petition and any subsequent by-election.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: This is set out in legislation, in the Elections Act 2022, (Commencement No. 6 and Savings) Regulations 2022 and the Voter Identification Regulations 2022. Voters will be required to show photographic identification in order to vote at a polling station for any UK parliamentary by-elections or to sign the petition in person at any recall petitions.

Listed Buildings: Heat Pumps

Lord Birt: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to review the practice of planning authorities in granting or denying permission for insulation and installation of heat pumps in listed buildings.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: As set out in the British Energy Security Strategy published last year, the Government has undertaken a review of the practical planning barriers that households can face when installing energy efficiency and low carbon heating measures such as heat pumps, including in conservation areas and listed buildings. An announcement on the outcome of the review will be made shortly.

Department for Transport

Logistics: Recruitment

Viscount Waverley: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Generation Logistics campaign.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The industry-led, government-backed, Generation Logistics campaign is supporting the Government’s commitment to ensure the freight and logistics sector has the people and skills it needs to thrive. Since its launch in August 2022, the campaign has been successfully delivering on its objectives, reaching a large and diverse audience through its ambassador network, educational events, and targeted messaging online. We continue to monitor the campaign’s progress, working collaboratively between government and industry to further raise awareness and positive sentiment towards logistics careers.

Logistics

Viscount Waverley: To ask His Majesty's Government, for each year since 2010, what is their estimate of (1) changes in costs incurred by the logistics sector, and (2) investment levels into the logistics sector.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department for Transport (DfT) does not hold a formal assessment of these specific changes across the logistics sector. The department is in regular contact with the logistics sector, and discussions do include the impacts of the wider economic environment. This cross-cutting industry operates within the private domain where costs are varied.

Logistics: Operating Costs

Viscount Waverley: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe change in (1) operating costs, including fuel and energy, (2) training and recruitment costs, and (3)taxes and charges, incurred by the logistics sector in each year since 2010.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department for Transport (DfT) does not hold a formal assessment of these specific changes across the logistics sector. The Department is in regular contact with the logistics sector, and discussions do include the impacts of the wider economic environment. This cross-cutting industry operates within the private domain where costs are varied. The following analysis, however, may be of relevance: the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero publishes weekly fuel prices from 2003 to the present day and the Office for National Statistics conducts a regular survey of business sectors on concerns such as energy prices and business rates.

Electric Scooters: Roads

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve safety for people using electric scooters on the public highway.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Safety will always be a top priority as the Department considers options for regulating e-scooters. E-scooter trials were launched in July 2020 and were designed to assess the safety of e-scooters and their wider impacts.The Department commissioned an independent evaluation of the e-scooter trials, covering data up to December 2021. The evaluation examines how and why rental e-scooters are used, as well as safety.The Department published the findings report of the national evaluation of e-scooter rental trials in England on 15 December 2022. The findings have already been used to inform updates in guidance and regulation of the e-scooter trials and will continue to be used to inform development of safety standards for micromobility legislation to be introduced when parliamentary time allows.

Alternative Fuels: Investment

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to encourage targeted technology investment in renewable fuels such as the use of waste cooking oils in aviation fuel.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation is currently our main support mechanism to encourage the supply of renewable fuels, including aviation fuels and those produced from waste feedstocks like used cooking oil (UCO). The Government plans to introduce the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) mandate in 2025, which will aim to drive demand for SAF in the UK and deliver at least 10% SAF in the jet fuel mix by 2030. The mandate will include a cap on hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) SAF, which includes UCO. The Department is currently consulting on what level the cap should be set at.

Electric Scooters: Carbon Emissions

Baroness Randerson: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the research article "Lifecycle Analysis of E-scooters in Sharing Services" in the International Journal of Advance Research, Ideas and Innovations in Technology, published in September 2022, in particular the finding that there are significantdifferences between lifecycle emissions in the UK, China and Sweden; how these findings have influenced their policy on e-scooters; and why the findings were not referenced in the Department for Transport'sNational evaluation of e-scooter trials.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department maintains a wide interest in research relating to all elements of transport, including shared mobility solutions. The research paper in question was one of several to inform the International Transport Forum’s report Good to Go? Assessing the Environmental Performance of New Mobility, which policymakers and analysts have considered in detail. The ITF report notes that the carbon emissions of shared mobility solutions are significantly affected by the factors shaping the construction of vehicles and operational practices. The report also states that significant progress has already been made in increasing the durability of e-scooters, reducing emissions per-kilometre from 122gCO2 to 106g in a relatively short period of time, with the potential for known techniques to reduce this to as little as 37g.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Life Sciences

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the link between (1) their ability to deliver the Life Sciences Vision, including the ambitions to grow the life sciences sector, and (2) the rebates imposed on companies through the Voluntary Schemefor Branded Medicines Pricing and Access.

Viscount Camrose: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure we deliver the Life Sciences Vision. Supporting the life sciences industry and future innovation is an objective of the voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access (VPAS), and DSIT is working with DHSC to understand how VPAS has impacted investment and innovation in the UK. The Government has considered in broad terms the link between volume-based rebate payments and various kinds of investment in our Impact Assessment of updates to the Statutory Scheme for branded medicines pricing, which operates alongside VPAS.

Department for Education

Arboriculture: Apprentices

The Earl of Leicester: To ask His Majesty's Government howmany people (1) started, and (2) completed, an (a) Entry Level 2, (b) Level 4, and (c) Level 6, arboriculture apprenticeship in each of the past five years; and what steps they are taking to increase that number.

The Earl of Leicester: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Barran on 7 March (HL5760), how the increased funding forapprenticeships in England to £2.7 billion by the 2024–25 financial year for supporting apprenticeships in arboriculture will be spent.

The Earl of Leicester: To ask His Majesty's Government howmany (1) employers, and (2) professional bodies, in the arboriculture sector are currently signed up to the Inspiring the Future programme.

Baroness Barran: Apprenticeships provide people with the opportunity to earn and learn the skills needed to start a career in the arboriculture sector. There have been over 5.4 million apprenticeship starts since 2010, with 99.6% of the apprenticeships budget spent to support employers of all sizes to deliver high-quality apprenticeships in the 2021/22 financial year.To support more employers across the country to recruit new apprentices, the department is increasing funding for apprenticeships in England to £2.7 billion by the 2024/25 financial year. This funding will not only help employers to create new apprenticeships across various sectors, including in arboriculture, but it will also cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already undergoing training, the cost of end-point assessments and any additional payments made to employers and training providers.The below table shows apprenticeship starts and achievements for the level 2 Arborist apprenticeship standard, with a typical duration of 24 months. There have been no starts on the level 4 Arboriculturist or level 6 Professional Arboriculturist apprenticeship standards, as they are currently awaiting an appropriate end-point assessment organisation to be appointed.Academic YearNumber of Starts Number of Achievements2017/1813002018/1917002019/2017002020/21220102021/22190202022/23 (Aug to Jan, as published in March 2023)17010 Note: Volumes are rounded to the nearest 10. Annual starts and achievements measures should not be directly compared, as apprentices will not achieve in the same year in which they started. The apprenticeship typically takes around two years to complete, and learners may take a break in learning during their apprenticeship.The level 2 Arborist standard is presently undergoing a comprehensive review led by the trailblazer group, in collaboration with the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. Their collective efforts aim to improve the end-point assessment process, thereby increasing the number of apprentices who successfully attain the qualification. The revised standard is scheduled to be introduced by autumn 2023.To encourage more starts, the department is making apprenticeships more flexible for employers in all sectors, supporting them to build a skilled workforce and develop a diverse pipeline of talent for the future. Furthermore, we have removed the limit to the number of apprentices that smaller employers can take on, making it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises to grow their businesses with the skilled apprentices they need. The department also provides £1,000 to employers and training providers when they take on certain younger apprentices.The department continues to actively promote apprenticeships in schools and colleges through our Apprenticeships Support and Knowledge Programme. This free service provides resources and interventions to help better educate young people about apprenticeships by giving them up-to-date information on the options available, including apprenticeships in arboriculture sector.We do not hold information on the number of employers and professional bodies in the arboriculture sector that are signed up to Inspiring the Future, because the programme is not government funded. To obtain comprehensive and accurate information, we recommend contacting Inspiring the Future directly via their website, which can be accessed at: https://www.inspiringthefuture.org/about/contact-us/.

Home Office

Home Office: Artificial Intelligence

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask His Majesty's Government how manyautomated decision-making systems are currently used by the Home Office to assist with making decisions that affect people’s legal rights or entitlements; and how many ofthose have publicly available (1) equality impact assessments, and (2) data protection impact assessments.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: “Assisting automated decision-making” is a broad term covering a large array of systems and processes, and the department does not keep a specific record of all systems that could fall within such a definition for this purpose.The Home Office has well established processes for completing Equality Impact Assessments and Data Protection Impact Assessments to ensure data processing is lawful, necessary, and proportionate.

Asylum

Lord Green of Deddington: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to theto the Written Statement by the Minister of State for Immigration on 8 June (HCWS837), what are the reasons for their policy changes on the treatment of asylum seekers set out in that Written Statement.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The Illegal Migration Bill represents a considerably stronger means of tackling the same issue that the differentiation policy sought to address: people making dangerous and unnecessary journeys through safe countries to claim asylum in the UK.

British Nationality: Children

Baroness Helic: To ask His Majesty's Government how manychildren currently residing in the UK (1) do not have a British citizenship, (2) do not have legal permission to live in the UK, and (3) are entitled to register as British citizens under the British Nationality Act 1981 but have not yet done so.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The current immigration status of a child currently resident in the UK or their potential entitlement to register as a British citizen depends on their individual circumstances. Therefore, this data is not available.

Asylum

Lord Green of Deddington: To ask His Majesty's Government, furtherto the Written Statement by the Minister of State for Immigration on 8 June (HCWS837), how many asylum applications there have been since 28 June 2022 from nationals of (1) Afghanistan, (2) Eritrea, (3) Libya, (4) Syria, (5) Yemen, and (6) Sudan, together with the number of accompanying dependants of each nationality.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The Home Office publishes data on asylum applications in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’ on GOV.UK. Data on asylum applications by nationality and applicant type are published in table Asy_D01 of the Asylum and resettlement detailed datasets: found here. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to the end of March 2023.Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’ on GOV.UK.Table Asy_D01  (xlsx, 9347.3KB)

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Livestock: Disease Control

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask His Majesty's Government what planning exercises have been undertaken in the past 10 years to test the UK’s preparedness for managing a farm animal disease outbreak.

Lord Benyon: There have been four UK-wide exercises involving Defra, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, and the Animal and Plant Health Agency, including their operational partners and stakeholder organisations:Exercise Holly (July 2021) tested government’s response to an outbreak of African swine fever.Exercise Blackthorn (November 2017 to July 2018) tested the response to a major outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD).Exercise Willow (2016) examined the UK’s capacity to respond to a large cross-border outbreak of FMD.Exercise Walnut (2013) tested the response to an outbreak of classical swine fever.We have also completed numerous operational, field and laboratory-based exercises to test and refine contingency plans on a yearly cycle, and our response capability has been tested by real-world outbreaks such as the ongoing outbreak of avian influenza.

Food: Public Sector

Baroness Parminter: To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to respond to thePublic sector food and catering policy consultation, which ran from 13 June 2022 to 4 September 2022.

Lord Benyon: The consultation on public sector food and catering policy attracted a wide range of responses, and we are considering the impact of this feedback on our initial proposals. We will publish the consultation findings, alongside updated standards and guidance later this year, to showcase sustainable, high welfare, quality produce consumed in the public sector.

Food: Public Sector

Baroness Parminter: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the consultation documentPublic sector food and catering policy for England: The Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services (GBSF), published in June 2022, whether the proposed criteria in that document encouraging the purchase of locally produced food arecompatible with the non-discrimination obligations of the World Trade Organization Agreement on Government Procurement.

Lord Benyon: Defra’s consultation on food and catering policy sought views on a number of proposals to update the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services. This included ways of meeting the Government’s manifesto commitment encouraging the public sector to procure British food to support the environment, animal welfare and our farmers. We will publish the consultation findings, alongside updated standards and guidance later this year. Whilst it is too soon to pre-empt any specific findings at this stage, the final policy will be compliant with the Government’s domestic and international obligations, including under the World Trade Organisation’s Agreement on Government Procurement.

Agriculture: Land Use

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the forthcoming national land use frameworks will balance the competing demands for agriculture, development, energy, and infrastructure in a way that actively promotes the installation of solar panels on suitable brownfield land and rooftops.

Lord Benyon: The Government considers that there is a strong need for increased solar deployment. As set out in the Energy Security Plan in March 2023, deploying rooftop solar remains a key priority for the Government. To meet our objectives for energy security and climate change, we will also need to make significant use of ground-mounted solar development mainly on brownfield, industrial and low and medium grade agricultural land. The Government encourages deployment of solar technology that delivers environmental co-benefits, with consideration for ongoing food production. Meeting energy security and climate change goals is urgent and of critical importance to the country, and these goals can be achieved together with maintaining food security for the UK. We recognise that, as with any new development, solar projects may impact on communities and the environment. The planning system allows all views to be taken into account when decision makers balance local impacts with national need. Striking the right balance between different land uses is a challenging task, which will involve trade-offs. There are many uses of our land that we need to anticipate for the future: growing food, planting trees, building homes, natural habitats, energy, land for infrastructure, and leisure and recreation. The Land Use Framework for England, to be published this year, will help to inform how we manage trade-offs and maximise co-benefits on the land, thereby supporting the delivery of multifunctional landscapes that will be dependent on the local context and national needs.

Fires: Climate Change

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any increase in the risk of wildfires attributable to the impacts of climate change.

Lord Benyon: The Government published its Third Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA3) in January 2022. CCRA3 sets out a wide range of climate risks to the UK, including the impacts on the natural environment of the changing climate and extreme events such as wildfires. The Third National Adaptation Programme will be published later this year and will set out the Government’s response to each of these climate risks. In addition, the Environmental Improvement Plan (2023) delivery plan includes measures that build resilience to increasing wildfire threat, recognising the evidence of CCRA3, and outlining several important mitigations and adaptations.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Energy Performance Certificates

Lord Jackson of Peterborough: To ask His Majesty's Government what progress has been made on the review of Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards with respect to reconfiguring Energy Performance Certificate ratings for residential properties which are to be let.

Lord Callanan: The Government has carefully analysed the responses received to the consultation on improving the energy performance of privately rented homes and is considering how best to ensure any new minimum energy efficiency standards are fair and proportionate to landlords and tenants. The Government will publish a summary of responses by the end of the year.